Broadsheet

The main event for August was the Annual Garden Party, which was again held at Jesus College. Two features distinguished it from last year; the weather was awful, but this was more than fully compensated for by the main event of the evening; the installation of our first President. Due to sustained rain we had to give up the open space of the Orchard and cram into the confines of the mediaeval Cloisters and the chilling wind that funnelled through them. Fortunately the Proiress's Room, being rapidly cleared of chairs and tables, made a very cosy and warm alternative when it came to the formalities.

	First the College's Admission's Tutor, Dr Geoff Parks, also a lecturer in Nuclear Engineering, gave us a welcoming talk and stressed the importance to the college of finding the best brains in the country regardless of background. He had to leave us to continue a course the College was running for pupils from the less prestigious school.
Next Malcolm Wilkinson, our founder chairman, made a short speech to install Professor Roger Needham CBE as our President. Roger was head of the Cambridge University Computer Laboratory and then became the first Pro-Vice Chancellor for Science. He is now Managing Director of Microsoft Research Ltd in Cambridge. He replied by emphasising how important networking clubs are, he had founded one himself for his research students to mix with the computer industry, and how pleased he was to be associated with us, a sentiment we gladly reciprocate.
	The final speech was the very welcome acceptance by our chairman, Roy Cuthbert of a cheque from NatWest Bank of £500 presented by Valerie Dring, Business Manager. NatWest have been supporting us for many years and we are most indebted to them for their generosity. About 70 members, guests and visitors attended, who were able to pick up the new programme of meetings, also on this web site under Calendar. Many continued long after the food and wine supply had failed, demonstrating their strong appetite for making and exploring fruitful contacts.

SEPTEMBER 2001 BROADSHEET - Annual Garden Party